Information Sheet for Module 2.4 HIV/AIDs

Information Sheet for Module 2.4 HIV/AIDs

HIV/AIDS situation in Bangladesh:

According to UNICEF (2009), the first case of HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh was detected in 1989. Since then 1,495 cases of HIV/AIDS have been reported (as of December 2008). However the estimated number of people living with HIV in the country may be as high as 12,000, which is within the range of the low estimate by UNICEF's State of the World's Children Report 2009. The overall prevalence of HIV in Bangladesh is less than 1%. But due to the limited access to voluntary counselling and testing services, very few Bangladeshi's are aware of their HIV status.[1]

Even though the number of HIV/AIDs patient is not high in Bangladesh, the people of the country remain extremely vulnerable to an HIV epidemic, given the dire poverty, overpopulation, gender inequality and high levels of transactional sex. Therefore, the issue needs to be openly discussed so that people are aware about the disease and can understand its long term effects in individuals as well as in families and the community.

Drug Addiction, unprotected sex and its relation to HIV:

The same UNICEF report confirm that in Bangladesh, drug addiction is now a more prominent threat to the youth and reports of high levels of HIV infection have been found among injecting drug users (57% borrow needles and only 1 in 3 use sterile equipment). Therefore, as drug addictions grow in the country, it is important to discuss the issues of HIV/AIDS prevention. Another issue is unprotected sex. History of unprotected sex amongst drug abusers is almost 63.8%.

Also most married men have unprotected sex with sex workers and then continue to have unprotected sex with their wives, which exposes these wives to HIV infection. There is also low condom usage rate amongst men who have multiple sex partners. In this case, both the individual and his partners are vulnerable towards HIV.

HIV is also prevalent amongst migrant workers. Men who live abroad may have unprotected sex while they are away and then when they return home, their wives are exposed to the disease. According to the International Centre for Diarrhoea Disease Research (ICDDR), 47 of the 259 cases of people living with HIV between 2002-2004 were infected as a result of migration. Due to unprotected sex, STDs are high in Bangladesh. Social sigma around discussing sex related issues is the main reason for peoples’ ignorance regarding these issues.

Family and community support:

It is important to discuss issues around sex, sexually transmitted diseases and how to prevent HIV/AIDS. Family members and community leaders can take a stand in discussing these issues. Since there is shame, social stigma and shyness attached to these topics, girls and boys can be separated while discussing these issues. Young men and women are the drivers of social change.

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